At a midday Monday press conference, the attorney for D.C. Council member Marion Barry claimed that the stalking charge lodged against Barry last Saturday was 'baseless.' Frederick Cooke also stated his belief that the charge would not be formally filed by prosecutors at a court hearing Thursday.
The attorney revealed that Barry had been previously involved in a relationship with the accuser, political consultant Donna Watts-Brighthaupt, a relationship that Barry's attorney explained had "run its course." Marion Barry himself did not speak a single word at the press conference.
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Just to further add to the confusion surrounding the incident, Barry's accuser has now taken issue with the U.S. Park Police. Watts-Brighthaupt issued a comment stating that she had never asked the police to stop Barry's vehicle, a direct contradiction of the arresting officer's account.
With three different accounts of the Saturday evening arrest, the Barry camp's belief that the stalking charge won't stand up may well be vindicated. While the situation is growing weirder by the second, weirdness is not a prosecutable offense.
______________________Labels: crime, marion barry, southeast d.c., stalking, washington d.c.
